How to Strength-Train While Training for a Triathlon

Ah, strength training. I've tried to deny the fact that it's important for so long, but writing and reading about fitness so regularly means I've paged through numerous studies and spoken with countless experts who say the benefits are irrefutable. Not only does strength training help shore up your skeleton, preventing everything from broken bones to osteoporosis, but it also helps you to maintain a healthy weight since the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn (even when you're not working out!).

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And even though my weeks are now filled with running, biking, and swimming (what any reasonable person—including me—would assume is plenty of exercise), sadly I don't get to skip strength training. "It's an important component of training for a triathlon because stronger muscles adapt better to training stress," says Marni Sumbal, R.D., an exercise physiologist, endurance triathlete, and owner of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition, LLC. However, during the last two to three weeks leading up to an endurance event like a tri or half marathon, you should take a break from full-body strength training and focus on maintaining hip and core strength exclusively. So with just two weeks before my triathlon (yikes!), I'm sticking with hip and core moves.

Sumbal suggests I do a 10- to 15-minute routine daily. As for when? The best time is when you can make the time, she says, whether it's first thing in the morning, after your workout, or before bed. (If you're not sure you'll be able to squeeze in hip and core moves later in the day, cut your workout short by 10 minutes so you make time for it.)

Here's the routine, created by Sumbal, that I've been doing daily. Even if you're not you're training for an event, moves like these build functional strength, so it's worth giving this circuit a try or sprinkling a few moves into your regular routine.

And if you're keeping up with my 30-day triathlon-training plan, I've included what my week-two routine involves below.

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